Tractor.



R. MARSH.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1913. 1,103,678. Patented July 14,1914,

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TRACTOR. APPLIOATION FILED NOV.1, 191s.

Lwfifi678u Patented July ,14, 1914.

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I Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 14,1914.

Application filedliovemher 1, 191a. Serial No. 798,875.

To all whom it ma concern. I I

MARSH, a citizen ofjthe United States, and a resident of Weldon, in thecounty of Dewitt and State of Illinois, have made certain new and'usefulImprovements in Tractors, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to more articularly to an improved constructio'iio pilot or guide wheels for tractors or other machines-of a similarnature.

Une-ofthe principalobjects of the invention-is' the provision of a pilotwheel which maybe driven by the propelling means of the-machine, and atthe same time be turned in'a'ny direction for guiding the tractor. 1

Another object o provision of a pilot wheel of the class described,which may be reversed.

A-further object of the invention is the provision of a device of'theclass described which will be comparatively simple, durable, efficientin operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

-Wi'th these and other objects in viewwhich will ,become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully describedand claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likecharacters of reference indicatelike parts throughout the severalfigures of which Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a tractorconstructed according to my invetition, Fig. 2 represents an enlargedside elevational view of the rear portion of the tractor frame, showingthe pilot wheel and adjacent parts, Fig. 3 represents a verticallongitudinal sectional view on the line33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4represents a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig.1'.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the tractor comprises aframe 5 formed of angle iron or other suitable material, the

forwardend of the frame carrying a pair of traction wheels 6' driven bymeans of sprockets and chains -7 from an engine shaft 8, an engine 9being shown in conventional form. The rear end of frame 5 is narrowedand is raised above the forward end thereof, and-a cross bar 10 issecured by bolts 11 to the extreme rear, end of the frame, said crossbar carrying a pair of upwardly extending brackets 12 in which isjournaled a tractors, and

the invention is the,

counter shaft 13, adapted to be driven by means of a chain 14 from theengine shaft 8,- When a clutch shown at 15 and slidablykeyed on theengine shaft is locked with the Loosely mounted on shaft 13 adjacentpinion 16' on said shaft which carries the forward end of chain 14.

brackets 12 are a pair of oppositely disposed I beveled gears 17 and 17and a clutch band- 18 is slidablykeyed on the counter shaft and isadapted to be thrown into and out of locking position with either ofpinions-17 or 17' by means of an inclined lever- 19 Divoted at 20 on ayoke 21 secured to frame 5 rearwardly of cross bar 10,- said lever be-.

ing provided with the'usual dog '22 for engagement with a toothedsegment 23. se-

cured to the yoke beneath lever 19.

A substantially inverted- U-shaped frame 24 is rotatably journaledon thelower; end

of a vertical shaft 25, the upper end of which passes centrally throughcrossbar 105 and has keyed to the upper end thereof, a bevel gear 26 inmesh with-bevel gear Hand 17 and a horizontal sprocket wheel 27 isrotatably mounted on shaft 25 between frame 24, to which the sprocketwheel is rigidly connected, and a circular plate 28:, formed on crossbar 10,- roller bearings 29, being interposed between the sprocket '27-and plate '28.

A frame 30 is secured to the framework 5. of thetractor rearwardly-ofyoke 21, and through the upper andalower bars of frame 30 extends avertical shaft 31. to the upper end of which is secured a steering wheel32 and to the lower endof which between the bars of frame 30, is secureda-sleeve 38 provided with teeth for forming a sprocket wheel 34 ofsmaller diameter than sprocket 27, and said sprocket wheels 34 and 27carry a chain 35., by means of which when thegrally with saidpilot wheelbearing against sprocket wheel 38 for bracing the same. The sprocketwheel 38 is connected by meansofa chain 41 with a smaller sprocket 42keyed onthe counter shaft 43 which is 'journaledhorizontally in frame 24near the upper end thereof, and directly below shaft 25, and

a bevel .gear 45 keyed on the lower end of shaft 25.

By this construction it will be evident that when clutch 15 is throwninto gear, with the pinion which carries chain 14, shaft 13 will berotated forwardly Theguide wheel 32 may be turned to set pilot wheel 36at any desired angle, and the clutch 18 may be thrown into gear withpinion 17' whereupon the pilot wheel 36 will be driven forward forguiding the machinearound a corner, or in the direction determinedby-the angle of the pilot wheel.

In order to reverse the direction of rotation of pilot wheel 36, theclutch l8 ma be thrown into gear with pinion wheel 1 as illustrated inFig. 4, whereupon the pilot wheel will be driven in a reverse direction.Pinions 17 and 17 are spaced far enough apart so that clutch 18.may beset in a neutral position between them, when it is not desired to drivethe pilot wheel.

It is readily apparent from the foregoing description, that the pilotwheel may be set at any angle with respect to the vehicle frame, and maybe driven either forwardly or rearwardly while in that position, andfrom the propelling meansof the vehicle.

Although I have described the pilot wheel as being'positioned at therear of the tractor, it .will be understood that it might be positionedat the front end thereof, and that it-would operate equally as well inthat position.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, Imay desire to make such changes in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts as do not depart from the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim asnew and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a tractor, a frame, a cross barconnected thereto, a vertical shaft rotatable in said cross bar, acounter shaft journaled above said cross bar, pinions loosely mounted onsaid counter shaft, means for driving said counter shaft, a pinion wheelkeyed on said vertical shaft above said cross bar and in mesh with firstsaid pinions, an inverted U-shaped frame rotatably mounted on saidvertical pin below said cross bar, a sprocket wheel on said pin betweensaid frame and bar and connected to said frame, means for turning saidsprocket wheel whereby said frame is turned, an axle journaled in "thelower end of said frame, a pilot wheel on said axle, a second sprocketwheel on said axle secured to said pilot wheel, a horizontal shaftjournaled in said frame below said last said gear, and a clutch onsaidcounter shaftadapted to be thrown in engagement with one of first saidbevelgears for driving said pilot Wheel in one. direction or the other.

2. In a. tractor, a frame, a cross bar secured to said; frame, a countershaft journaled above said cross bar, means for driving said countershaft, pinions loosely mounted in spaced relation on said count-ershaft, a vertical shaft rot-atably mounted in said cross bar, arpinionwheel keyed on the upper end of said vertical shaft'in mesh with saidfirst inions, a -frame rotatably mounted on sai vertical shaft, meansfor rotating said frame on said shaft, said means including a sprocketwheel secured to the rotatable frame and bearing against said cross barand journaled on said vertical shaft, a pilot wheel carried by saidframe, connecting means between said vertical shaft and pilot wheel fordriving the latter,-'a yokev secured to first said frame, a leverpivoted on said yoke, and. a clutch slidably keyed on said counter shaftbetween first said pinions and connected with said lever for engagingone or the other of' first said .pinions to drive sa-id' pilot wheel inone direction or the other.

3. In a tractor, a frame, a counter shaft journaled above said frame,means for drivingsaid counter shaft, a vertical shaft rotatably mountedin said frame, a second frame rotatably mounted on said vertical shaft,means'for rotating said second frame. on said shaft, a s rocket wheeljournaled on said vertical shaft, first said frame bearing upon saidsprocket wheel, said second frame being secured to said sprocket wheel,said sprocket wheel adapted to be rotated for rotating the second frame,an axle journaled in sand second frame, a pilot wheel carried by saidaxle, a sprocket wheel on said axle connected with said pilot wheel, ahorizontal shaft journaled in said second frame, a second s rocket wheelsecured to said horizontal s aft and connected with first said sprocketwheel, a pinion keyed on said hori- 0nd frame, means for driving saidvertical shaft, connecting means between said vertical shaft and pilotwheel for driving the latter, a sprocket Wheel secured to said secondframe and bearing against said plate, a third frame secured to firstsaid frame, a shaft rotatable in said third frame, a steering wheelsecured on last said shaft, a sprocket wheel on last said shaft, andconnecting means between said sprocket wheels whereby said pilot Wheelmay be turned as said steering wheel is turned.

5. In a tractor, a fixed frame, a movable frame, a sprocket wheelsecured to the movable frame, u on which the fixed frame bears, and a saft extending through said fixed frame, sprocket wheel and movableframe, said shaft being rotatable therein.

6. In a tractor, the combination of a movable frame, a shaft on whichsaid frame is j ournaled, said shaft provided with a pinion bearingagainst said frame, a counter shaft journaled in said movable frame, apinion carried by said counter shaft withln the frame in mesh with firstsaid pinion, a sprocket wheel carried b the counter shaft within theframe, an ax e journaled in the frame, a ground Wheel carried by theaxle, a second sprocket wheel carried by said axle,

and a flexible element connecting said sprocket wheels. I

ROBERT MARSH.

l/Vitnesses H. T. SWIGART, D. W. IsENHoUR.

